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Category: Archives

The full collection of explorations.

Wall Mounted Squeeze Bottles

Published on July 2, 2023

I’m in Disney this weekend at a Martial Arts Business Conference & World Class Tournament.

One of my young team members is here for the first time with me, not only competing at the highest level, but soaking in the whole Disney experience.

I asked him yesterday what his impressions were.

…He didn’t need to think about it.

He quickly started describing to me the most amazing thing he had seen that was right in his hotel room—the shower to be exact—and told me about these different wall-mounted squeeze bottles that each contained different liquids… one that had a thick, green shampoo gel… one that had a more white, runny conditioner (and how he didn’t really know what the conditioner was for)… and finished by telling me about the body wash and how it was more of a smooth blue gel.

…And he was absolutely floored by this.

Which made me see it in a brand new light myself—and is why today, I’m thankful for these everyday products that I otherwise would’ve never even given a second thought to; the products that keep me feeling so fresh and so clean; the products that I would have zero idea how to make if I was lost in the wilderness and had to live off the land.

Drive To Play

Published on July 1, 2023

Tonight, for the first time in a long time I got to play sand volleyball with some friends.

It was the type of game where none of us were keeping score, all of us were yelling, diving, and cheering, and we all were about as bad as the rest—and it was a blast.

Towards the end of the game, I noticed an older women in uniform, presumably a facilities worker, who was watching curiously from the sideline.

It’s hard to describe, but in the manner of her body language, tilt of her head, and look on her face—it was as though she was living vicariously through us for that brief blip of time—unlike the other spectators who were very casually watching.

It was as though she was entranced—maybe remembering times from the past? Maybe soaking in some of the fun for herself? Maybe just entertained by the ridiculous sight of it all?

…What she was thinking, I’ll never know.

But, what it got me thinking about was how grateful I was to be the participant in those moments. To be the one on the court doing the yelling, diving, and cheering. To be the person in that privileged position of being able to play the game.

Something I think many of us take for granted… until one day we find ourselves drawn to a commotion… that’s on our path home… that contains this scene of people yelling, diving, and cheering… that leads us to a sideline… where we find ourselves watching vicariously…

And suddenly… without a drive to play.

The Everything Else

Published on June 29, 2023

Tonight, I had the pleasure of celebrating the end of my mom’s career with her at her retirement party.

Surrounded by colleagues, close friends, loved ones, board members, and more—it was a warm and vibrant gathering filled with a great many emotions.

And while all that was said throughout the evening was heart warming, kind, and beautifully delivered—what hit me the most had nothing to do with words at all.

…What hit me the most was this brief, minute or two slideshow that showcased assorted moments from throughout her career, that was backed with just the right song, and was played in conclusion—after all of the speeches, toasts, and honors were given.

It opened with an image of my mom from 20 years earlier (when she first accepted the role) and closed with a picture of her in front of the same wall that must’ve been taken from just a few days earlier.

And what was in between… yes… what was in between was what hit me.

It wasn’t words.

It was faces.

Faces not only of people whose lives touched my mom’s, but whose lives my mom was able to touch.

It can be so easy to get lost in the words—the product of the organization—that we can take the faces for granted. But, it’s not the words who show up to your retirement party—it’s the people. And what a beautiful bunch of people my mom was able to attract into her life.

Words matter—don’t get me wrong. But, in many respects, it’s the everything else—the intent, timing, body language, care, charisma, belief, devotion, warmth, strength, etc—that makes the legacy.

Harder Than Ever

Published on June 28, 2023

My running buddy and I decided to take a break from our early morning run this week.

The extra sleep, we voted, was the more valuable priority.

I got a text not long after that said “Back at it next week, harder than ever.”

This, in my estimation, is a very common response in our hustle, grind, crush it culture.

We take a (much needed) break and then feel guilty because we’re “supposed” to always be on and hustling and grinding, and crushing it… so we double down on the comeback workout and vow to go “harder than ever…”

But, there’s nothing to feel guilty about.

If a genuine break was needed and a higher priority task was put in its place, this is strategy—not something that should make us feel guilty. This is how we play the long-term game, rather than appeal to the short sprints that make us resent the practice altogether.

I replied and said, “No need to make it harder—just back at it. No need to owe yourself anything. No need to beat yourself up. We listen to our bodies and show up with what we have when we’re able.”

And as long as we’re clear on our priorities and honest about what we’re telling ourselves when we miss—this is the path.

Killing ourselves is an awful strategy for long-term success.

P.s. This is the LAST week to get The Art of Forward (Direction > Speed) at 52% off! After this week, the coupon code (LAUNCH) will expire and the price will return to normal.

Creative Juicing

Published on June 26, 2023

There’s only so much creative juice available to us each day.

If we align our time/energy/effort properly, we can maximize the juice we’re able to squeeze. But, if we don’t take care of ourselves, carelessly wash away our most valuable hours, and/or succumb to passive entertainment… we miss our opportunity to squeeze creative juice at all.

…And what a shame to be given a ripe fruit and not get even one taste of its juice.

Set aside some proper time to squeeze, however, and you’ll reap the rewards. The first big squeeze, done at your peak time, will yield the greatest results. Wait for a while longer inside the day and you’ll get a second shot at the same, once squeezed fruit—it doesn’t replenish. And so it is for each attempt inside the day after that.

After the first two or three major squeezes, the additional squeezes won’t yield very good results. You’re better off releasing the fruit, resting, and allowing your creative juices to replenish. This is why working when you’re exhausted can feel like such a waste of energy/effort—you’re squeezing from an exhausted fruit.

And this is why, the people who are able to squeeze the most creative juice from life don’t do so in short stints of time. They routinely get their two to three big squeezes from the fruit that’s replenished each day and do so over an extended period of time. And if you want to squeeze the most creative juice from this life, that’s what you should plan for, too.

P.s. In case you missed it, you can read the best of what I posted to MoveMe Quotes last week, here.

Work Hard, Play Hard, Just Be

Published on June 25, 2023

I’m the work hard, play hard type.

I have a hard time letting myself relax and play if I haven’t gotten my work done for the day first.

And once I’ve completed my work or exhausted whatever energy I had towards it, I try and cut loose from it completely and relax and play fully—I try not to let work bleed into play.

That said, I’m usually doing one or the other: working or playing. And what I recognized in myself just yesterday is that there’s a third option that I’m skipping over altogether: being.

While this might sound new-age-y… here’s what I mean: after work this past Saturday, I came home and did some additional work that I had on my to-do list. I lasted around 2 hours before I completely zonked out from fully depleted mental energy.

But, it was too early for me to “play hard” and so I found myself in this unusual gap where I didn’t have the mental energy to work, but didn’t hit the time in my schedule where I could play.

And then it occurred to me…

This is precisely the kind of time gap that I’ve been hoping for. A time where I had nothing pressing that needed to get done so that I could practice being present—aka meditating for extended periods of time.

And so I tried it.

I sat in my backyard, eyes closed, for double the time I would normally sit—40 minutes. And just practiced being. It was quite refreshing and something I think needs to be added to the work hard, play hard formula. At least it’ll be something I add to mine.